The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-17
FOR % INDIAN MArDENs.
Mrs, Thomas Francis Meagler Stands
sponsor at Their Confirmation.

SpOnSOr at Their Confirmation.
letter from the Flathead Indian reser-
cation. Northwestern Montana, to the New
Work World says: / came here to see the
modernized red man, transformed by civil
thing influences from the warlike savage of
the forest to the peaceable tiller of the soil.
The American Indian, though still proud Of
his paint and feathers, his prisnatic blank
OTIS aud Val1-colored strings of beads, is fast
robing himself in the habiliments of the
white man, and soon the curling smoke that
rises from the cone-shaped wigwamS along
The banks of the mountain streams will
ascend from the mantel-breasted chimneys
where the red man, no longer untutored
and ignorant, shall sit around the winters
hearth and read TO his children the legends
nj his forefathers in the long ago. Or may
hap the young brave, from whose breast the
savage instinct of old shall have been extir-
rated by the pleasures of the mind, shall
recount by public acclaim the historic scenes
through which his people passed, and the
dawn of faith and Christianity among
them Is the picture romantic or improb-
able! | saw it yesterday through the lens
nj thought as beheld the copper-hued
Young Indians declaim with grace and spirit
Inravel mathematical problems that to me
were full of gordian knots, and breathe
INTO sounding DitLoS Ullt CTetl-
tious of our patriotic national composers
Yesterday from far and wide over the
great Northwestern reservation the Indians
came in files and bands to celebrate the feast
of St. Ignatius, which, since the advent of
the mission fathers more than thirty years
ago, has been observed with pomp and cere-
mony, roasting and reunion.
The mission proper is twenty miles from
the home of Maj Roman, the Indian agent,
~ 49,. .A~1
the 30th. The ride over was through the
most picturesque canons and valleys of the
Rocky Mountains, along the banks of the
Jocko river which was bridgelesS and the
treacherouS currents of which were forded
by our bronchos with difficulty, Towards
the end of our journey we mounted the
winding, rocky ascent of huge gorge, and
after following rolling country for few
miles, again mounted II great large hill, and
there before us, straight across a beautiful
valley that, steep-descending, stretched be-
meath our feet, we saw the white cluster of
buildings, with the stars and stripes I'M
flrled overhead. Long rows of trees and
shrubbery stretched out on either side, and
in the background McDonald's Peaks rose,
Titan-like, above the surrounding ranges
1t was high noon, Yet the gray mists of the
morning still hung heavily over the noun
tains We could see the evidences of busy
preparation and the moving figures of the
swarthy natives fitting to and fro, as the
arrival of some new party of Indians be-
tokened the reunion Of warrior friends
Our own arrival produced no discernible
impression, the lounging Indians being
wrapped seemingly in their own contempla-
tons. We put up at the house of Mr.
Alexander Demers, the post-trader. and
during the evening paid our respects to the
missionary fathers and TO the Bishop of
Montana, who came over to administer the
sacrament of confirmation to the Indian
children. Here was the scene of some of
the fearless and untirIng labors of the great
Father de Smet, whose salutary teachings
among the tribes of the Northwest and
whose unquenchable devotion to the amelio-
ration of the Indians savage state are held
in deathless veneration among all English
reading people.
The entire settlement was astir when the
earliest CLEANS of the sun played upon the
tinseled crown of the flagstaff, and by 8
O'clock the church, which held upward of
800 people, was filled to the doorstep with
kneeling postulants, praying aloud in a
kind of chatter peculiar to the Kalispel dia
lect, and which, to the indevouG, must have
been ear-racking. The prayers finally
ceased in unison and the celebration of the
mass began. The altar was as tastefully
decorated with flowers and plants as any OF
the affairs of the East and the music by the
choir of young Indian maidens was rendered
with precision and melody. The sermon was
delivered in English by Bishop Brondel;
and below the dais on which he stood, one
of the fathers listened attentively, and, at
the end of every ninth and tenth sentence,
the Bishop paused to allow the interpreter
to translate his utterances. At the conclu-
sion of the mass sixteen boys and twenty
four girls were confirmed by the Bishop.
Telict of the lamented Irish patriot and
sister of Mrs. s. L. NJ Barlow, Of New
York, who is travelling through Montana
and who was present, stood sponsor for the
twenty-four young girls. The maidens
were dressed becomingly in white and wore
crowns of flowers and white wells.
In the afternoon, the closing exercises of
the school took place and We're full of inter
est. A brass band, consisting of seventeen
pieces, none of the performers being over
IL years of age, played appropriate selections
during the exercises, and the entire school,
without exception, acquitted themselves
admirably. Comparing their ages with
those OF white children. they comported
themselves most creditably. The valedic-
tory was delivered by bright girl of II or
10 and was well rendered.
Maj. Roman, who has been among these
Indians for many years. tells me that several
VI Ououl are WOTbu snug lOlUuueS, anu
enumerated two or three whom he consid-
cred worth $40, 900 each in horses and cattle.
The reservation comprises within its limits
1900, 900 acres of the choicest land in Mon
tana. The Indians have a police and judi
clal system of their own. The judiciary
consists of three of the Indian chiefs. AT
the st. lgnatius Mission there is a printing
establishment, where the young Indian
boys are taught to set the type and
umere considerable printing is done. |
have seen a dictionary Of the Kalispel
language arranged in English. which Yves
printed by the boys, and numerous
pamphlets and tracts which have also
emanated from their labors. Here of the
agency, near the borders of the reservation,
IN nearly every Indian home the squaws can
oe seen operating sewing machines, while
The husband is engaged on the tillable por-
tions Of the farm with mowers of the latest
improved design. At the Mission, too the
Indian youth Is taught TO do carpenter work,
use the farm implements and skill himself
IN other useful occupations. Altogether,
the confe1erated tribes on the Northwest
reservations may now be considered do
meStlcated and progressive people.